


I Will Say I'm in Love

by srm628



Category: Fruits Basket
Genre: Akito is an asshole, Canon Related, Curse Breaking, Cutesy, Declarations Of Love, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Love Confessions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-07-09 14:56:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19889701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/srm628/pseuds/srm628
Summary: Kyo is forced to accept the truth. He is in love with Tohru Honda, and he needs to fight for her if he wants a chance to be with her.





	I Will Say I'm in Love

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this one-shot after watching through both series and reading up to chapter 70 of the manga. I kind of took some liberties with the curse and the characters, and probably spelled some of the names wrong. Sorry about that. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The summer before graduation offered a huge surprise and realization to Kyo Sohma. He loved Tohru Honda with all of his heart. He wasn't sure when he started loving her, but he knew that he did.

He realized when he sat in front of Akito, his god. Akito was in charge of the Zodiacs. At that moment, Akito was tormenting Kyo, saying all of the insecurities that he thought daily, the ones that Tohru had helped him push back, but here, in this room, they were on full blast, and he had no escape. Akito challenged him, wanted him to admit his feeling for Tohru, but he couldn't do that.

At the moment, he rationalized that he was lying for her sake. He swore that he didn't love her to protect her. He had seen what Akito had done when he didn't like someone or couldn't control someone. Kyo told himself that he would protect Tohru if it was the last thing he did.

However, now, he is realizing a different truth. That day, he lied to Akito, he lied not just for Tohru, though that did probably play a part in his actions. No, Kyo was afraid to admit his love. He knew if he said the words out loud, that'd make them real. And he wasn't ready to accept that.

But he was now.

Graduation was a week away, and he had still yet to beat that damn rat, Yuki. By the bet he made with Akito, that meant that Kyo would be locked away in isolation for the rest of his life.

"Kyo, are you okay?" Tohru's voice broke him from his thoughts. She stood on the ladder that led up to the roof, his usual hiding place.

"I'm fine," Kyo answered quickly. His voice came out harsher than he intended. Tohru looked down, looking sad. "Just thinking," He added softly.

She finished climbing onto the roof and sat down next to him.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked, looking over the house. She stared off into the distance.

"How much life is going to change after graduation."

He couldn't believe how easily the words fell from his mouth. A few years ago, he would've snapped at her again, telling her that it was none of her damn business, but here he was, opening up to her.

"Yeah. It's hard to believe it came so fast."

"Yeah."

Tohru didn't know about the bet with Akito, not fully. She knew that if Kyo won, he would be accepted with open arms into the Zodiacs, but she thought that was all that was at stake. She had no idea that this week was all they had together.

"What do you plan to do after graduation?" Tohru asked. She looked over to Kyo curiously. "Do you think you are going to take over the dojo?"

Kyo was speechless. He wasn't sure what to say. He didn't want to lie to her, not to Tohru.

"Probably not," He said after a few moments. Her eyes continued to bore into him.

"Then what?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

Tohru looked down to her hands. She fiddled with her thumbs. Kyo watched her for a moment. When he looked up, he noticed she was crying.

"Hey! What are you crying for?" He asked harshly. He never did learn how to be gentle.

"Akito told me...what would happen after graduation." Kyo's eyes widened. "I...I wanted to save you, and I couldn't. I'm so sorry, Kyo. I failed you."

Tears continued to stream down her face. She was full-on sobbing, but Kyo was frozen in place.

She knew?!?

More importantly, Akito told her. That bastard! He made Tohru cry! That was unforgivable.

"You didn't fail," Kyo said softly. His hands balled into a fist. He was ready to run to the Somha house and kill Akito, but first, he knew he had to be here for Tohru. "There was nothing you could do, Tohru. Please don't blame yourself."

"I wanted to help you so bad, and I couldn't. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I know you tried your best, and I love you for it."

Tohru stopped crying as she looked up to Kyo in surprise.

"You...what?"

Fuck, he hadn't meant to say that out loud. That thought was never meant to leave his head, but it was out there now. It was real.

"I love you, Tohru Honda." A weight lifted off his shoulders as he breathed out the words.

"I... I love you too, Kyo."

Without thinking, he hugged her. He got to feel her touch for just a second before he changed into his orange cat form. She continued to hold onto him though.

She giggled softly, causing Kyo to look up at her.

"What's so damn funny?" He asked, meaner than intended.

"Months ago, you would've yelled at me for holding you like this," Tohru explained, giggling occasionally. "You would have desperately tried to escape my arms."

Kyo looked down. She was right. He hated feeling vulnerable, and being here, in her arms, is when he felt the most vulnerable. She unleashed that side of him, the one he locked up when he was little.

"You've changed so much, Kyo," Tohru said softly. She lifted a hand to his head and began to pet him. "And I think it's for the better."

In that moment, everything was clear to him. Hearing her say those words, he knew that he had to fight for her. He was going to tell Akito that he wasn't backing down, and Akito would not separate him from the one he loved. Not anymore.

He was the cat of the Zodiac, destined to be outcasted from society. However, that came with a blessing. He didn't have to follow Akito's rules. He was the cat, and the cat didn't belong to with the other twelve Zodiacs; therefore, he didn't have to follow their god.

But, he wasn't in any rush to fight Akito, not when he could rather be in Tohru's arms. She held onto him tightly, as though if she let go, she would lose him. And he supposed, in a way, that was the case.

"I don't want you to go away," Tohru said softly. Tears were welling up in her eyes again and beginning to fall down her cheeks. "I don't want everything to change. I want to stay here with you, with Yuki, with Shigure. I'm happy here."

"Don't cry."

Kyo lifted his paw to Tohru's face. He felt the wetness on his fur, but for once, the water didn't bother him. His focus was on Tohru, and Tohru alone.

She meant everything to him.

* * *

"I'll be late coming home from school," Kyo told the group, just as he was leaving. "I have something I need to do."

"Are you going to the dojo?" Tohru asked, appearing in the doorway of the kitchen.

They hadn't talked about what happened on the roof. It was almost as though it didn't happen.

School passed by normally. Kyo had considered skipping but knew that he would have to explain that to Tohru and didn't think that it was worth it.

After school, he went to the Somha main house. The servants didn't want to let him see Akito. He knew he wasn't welcome here, but that didn't stop him. He raced past and broke into Akito's room.

Akito sat up, startled. His eyes rested on Kyo for a moment, who was panting loudly. Akito regained his composure, fast enough that Kyo couldn't even be sure he had lost it.

"Kyo, what a pleasant surprise," Akito said in a cheerful voice.

"Don't give me that," Kyo growled.

"Someone is in a bad mood today." Akito stood to his feet and walked over to where Kyo was standing. "To what do I owe the pleasure of a monster standing in my room?"

"You aren't locking me away," Kyo stated.

"Excuse me, did you forget our deal? Unless you can defeat Yuki in a week, I'm afraid I am."

"No." Kyo felt eerily calm. The anger that he expected to surge through his body was nonexistent. "You aren't."

"What's with this sudden confidence? A monster shouldn't have such confidence. It's unbefitting and appears arrogant."

"I'm staying with Tohru."

Akito laughed. "Ah, so that's what this about. That wretched girl." He looked to the window. "I knew I should have taken care of her when I had the chance." He turned back to Kyo. "What? Do you love her or something? What possibly makes you think she would want to stay with a monster like you?"

"I do love her. I love Tohru Honda." The words fell from Kyo's mouth freely. His confidence was unwavering. Akito seemed almost taken back by this. "And she loves me back. And even if she didn't, that's okay. Because I love her, and I will do everything in my power to protect her."

Kyo breathed deeply. The anger he expected to feel earlier finally arrived.

"And you! You made her cry!" Kyo threw a punch out, which actually hit Akito. He groaned out in pain. "That is unforgivable, you bastard! I'm done with you! I'm done with this family! You will not control me anymore!"

Kyo lost all control of his rage. He continued to throw punch after punch, kick after kick. He only stopped when someone threw him off of Akito's broken and bleeding body.

"Kyo, Kyo, you need to stop!"

Kagura and Haru held him back. He didn't try to fight them much. He looked down at Akito, who was trembling.

"Get that monster out of here! Get him away! Get him away!"

Kagura and Haru guided him out of the room. He willingly allowed them too.

"Kyo, what happened?" Kagura asked.

"He made Tohru cry," Kyo answered. He felt himself crumble. "I couldn't forgive him for that. I...I couldn't stop myself."

"It's okay..." Haru touched Kyo's hair. 

"Kyo?" Momoji came hopping up the stairs. "What are you doing here?"

Kyo was quiet. He didn't really want to admit he just beat the shit out of Akito.

"He was just visiting, right, Kyo?" Kagura asked. She shot Kyo a smile.

Kyo nodded. A cool relief washed over him. "Yeah, just visiting... Do you want to want to come home with me and see Tohru, Momoji?"

"Ja!" Momoji grinned happily. "Are you guys coming too?"

"Yeah, of course," Haru answered, smiling softly.

The four of them started on their way back to Shigure's. Kyo suspected that he would never be allowed in this place again, and honestly, he was okay with that.

"Kyo, are you okay?" Momoji asked. Kyo looked up to realize that he had fallen back from the group. Momoji was walking by his side.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You called me by my name... I don't think you have ever done that before." Momoji's voice was soft. He sounded sad. "What's going on? Why were you really at the Somha house?"

"It's nothing you need to worry about..." Kyo said. He reached over and wrapped his arm around Momoji's head like he usually did. "You little brat." His voice was more lighthearted than usual.

"Wahhh!" Momoji screamed. "Kyo's picking on me!"

Haru and Kagura didn't even look back, but within a second, Kyo let Momoji go. Momoji smiled. For a moment, there was a sense of normalcy.

When they arrived at Shigure's house, all eyes were on them.

"Kyo," Shigure started. "I need to talk to you. Privately."

Kyo allowed Shigure to lead him outside. They walked a few hundreds of yards away from the house.

"I just got a call from the main house. It appears you made a visit," Shigure started.

Kyo fell to the ground and sat down. He looked up to Shigure, nodding. "Yeah, what of it?"

"Akito's in the hospital with life-threatening injuries."

Kyo was quiet. He looked back down to the ground. He hadn't meant to actually kill Akito. He was just so angry.

"But I heard that Akito is dropping your leash." Kyo's head shot up to find Shigure smiling. "I believe his exact words were 'I don't want that monster anywhere near me again.' You're free, Kyo. You can do what you want. You are no longer tied down by the Somhas."

Kyo grinned. "Are you serious?"

Shigure nodded.

Kyo jumped up. "I'm free!"

He ran back to the house, not bothering to wait for Shigure. He threw open the door to find Momoji hugging Tohru, and he remained human.

"Look, Kyo!" Momoji screamed. "The curse! It's gone! I can hug Tohru all I want now!"

The night was filled with celebration. The curse was lifted. They were saved.

After everyone went home, Kyo went to Tohru's room. He knocked softly, just loud enough for her to hear.

"Come in."

Kyo opened the door and shut it behind me.

"Oh, Kyo?" Tohru said, looking up from her bed. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you... About last night?"

Tohru's cheeks turned a dark red, and she looked down. "Oh, okay."

"I meant every word I said," Kyo said. "I do love you."

"I meant what I said too."

Kyo smiled softly. He took a few steps into the room and sat down on the bed next to her.

"I got news from the main house."

"Oh?"

"I'm free, Tohru... I won't be isolated after graduation."

Tohru snapped her attention to him. A huge goofy grin appeared on her face. "That's great! Oh, I'm so happy for you, Kyo!"

She threw her arms around him, seemingly without thinking.

"Oh, I'm sorr-" She began to pull away, but Kyo stopped her. He pulled her closer, holding her tightly in his arms.

"You don't know how long I have been dreaming of this day," He whispered in her ear.

She sighed softly. Her body relaxing in his arms.

"Me too."

The two hugged for what felt like an eternity. At least, Kyo let go, and Tohru pulled back.

"I'm sorry," He said softly.

"No, it's okay!" She started rambling about how hard it must have been for him all this time and that she understood.

"Tohru?" Kyo asked, interrupting her.

"Yes?" She stopped mid-sentence and stared at Kyo.

"Would.. Would you like to go on a date with me?"

"I would love to."

The two smiled at each other. For the first time in his life, Kyo felt truly happy.


End file.
